Guardian
by azulastemper
Summary: Would you still fight for the woman you love even if she doesn't remember you? Alice/Claire
1. Chapter 1

**This is based on chapter 1 of "When the Riders Depart" By Jaydon Scott. Go read it NOW! If you want the link just ask! Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

"Wait! Please stop!" Alice hollered as she sprinted across the beach chasing a shadow. It could've been dangerous but she didn't care. It was something alive out here, something other than herself. She ran until she was back amongst the planes. She stopped and looked around. There was no sign of whoever it was she'd seen. "Hello?" she said desperately.

She walked over to the creaking door of a plane, hoping that they'd gone in there to hide. When she leaned her head in to look, she had to whip away fast as a horde of birds flew outwards. Shrugging, Alice turned around. She'd lost them.

THUNK!

She found herself on the ground a second later with a wild person trying to stab her. Her hands flew upwards to snatch her attacker's arms. They both grunted and struggled to defeat the other. Alice managed to fling them over her and they crashed to the ground. She scrambled to her feet quickly as her enemy got up.

They were too grungy to see who it was or even if they were _alive_. Alice managed to kick them hard into the plane beside her. They slid onto the ground, unconscious. She walked over and rolled the person over with her foot. Then her heart stopped as she saw who it was.

Claire Redfield.

A whole whirlwind of emotions flew at her. The first was relief, Claire was _okay_. But then she should've expected that, Claire wasn't going out without one hell of a fight. The second thing she felt was a rush of happiness twisted up with pain. It made Alice feel like she wanted to be close and far away at the same time. Claire was the first person Alice wanted to see and yet the last.

She reached down to see something attached to Claire's chest. Whatever it was, she needed to get it off. Alice wasn't sure when Claire would wake up again and she didn't want to take any chances so she tied her up to a plane's landing gear.

For a moment Alice stood there silently, drinking up the sight of Claire. She looked so calm when she was asleep, so _vulnerable_. For a long time, Alice couldn't even remember Claire's face; it was just a blurry image in her mind no matter how hard she tried to remember. Seeing her again so vividly made all that buried attraction float up to the surface. There it stayed and taunted her, teasing her because she couldn't _have_ Claire.

She knew it was only a matter of time before her memories hit her like a speeding car, leaving her breathless and crushed once again. Better to get it over with now while Claire was asleep. That would just make things easier. So she let herself remember for one tiny moment.

Her body tingled as she recalled the feel of Claire's soft lips on her own. She remembered the way her heart pounded so hard in her chest she thought it'd break free. Only for a second later to have it feel like it had been frozen and shattered with a hammer.

_I can't_.

That's all Claire said and then she walked away. From that moment Alice tried to forget the unhelpful-utterly _useless_-feelings that had sprung up in the few days she'd known Claire. She tried to act like they weren't there but there wasn't a day she didn't think of that kiss. Alice shook her head, shoving the thoughts out of her mind. That was enough for one day.

It was dark when Claire woke up with a jolt. She looked around to see she was in a dark field filled with planes. There was a lantern giving off a faint bit of light beside her. She tried to move but her hands were tied above her. Frantically, she kicked her legs and struggled to get free. Then a satiny voice filled the air.

Claire twitched at the sound. She'd heard that voice before. She couldn't place when or where or who it even belonged to. At this point it was like a voice she'd heard in a dream a long, long time ago.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." the voice said softly. A woman stepped closer, the lantern's light falling on her. She was very pretty-_beautiful _more like it. Her eyes were a piercing blue and her dark brown hair was a bit in a shaggy mess but it suited the woman. She crouched down so she was on eye level with Claire. She held up a strange silver spider, the thing that had been attached her before.

Claire had slowly calmed down but she still tugged at the rope. Not that she was so eager to get away. The longer she looked at the woman the more curious she became. There was something about that face, those eyes….those lips.

"Who did this to you?" the woman asked. Claire was too caught up in staring, struggling to remember. A concerned look fell over the other woman's face. "Do you even know who I am?" Claire didn't have any answers and she was partly angry because of that. "My name is _Alice_. We met in the Nevada desert eighteen months ago. Does any of this sound familiar?"

_Alice_…the name sparked a flood of jostled images; Alice sitting by a fire in the desert staring quietly at her, Alice setting a sky of birds on fire, and most of all Alice's lips on hers. That memory came in crystal clear as if she'd fused it into her mind, determined that it could never be forgotten no matter what. She could almost feel the pounding heat on her skin, the way Alice smelled like sand and canned soup that day, and the delicate, gentle lips moving against hers with such care. Claire blinked in confusion, her heart racing wildly.

Alice had mentioned a bunch of other things but it never reached Claire's ears. She was too busying running over the one memory she managed to recall. Alice shrugged and stood up, tossing the spider-like device into the darkness. The brunette seemed more frustrated than a stranger ought to be over Claire's memory loss. But then again…maybe not? Claire didn't know. She watched Alice wander off to a red plane and searching the insides for the little bit of food she must've brought.

_What happened in that desert?_ Claire wondered.

Alice came back, she was holding a can of food and swirling the insides around with a spoon. "Hungry?" she said as she came closer. Claire just eyed her. _She can't be serious_. Apparently she was. Alice held up a spoonful before Claire's lips. She wasn't gonna take a bite but her stomach growled at the most inconvenient time. Grumpily, she opened her mouth and let Alice feed her.

Alice let her have two thirds of the can and ate the rest; it was written on her face though that she was still hungry. Claire wondered why she didn't just do half and half. After that, Alice searched around. Claire couldn't see her but she could heard Alice's feet shuffling around. She came back with a bucket of water and a handful of clothes.

"We should get you cleaned up. You look like you had a rough couple of weeks lately." Alice said. She dipped a rag in the water and reached out towards Claire. Claire flinched away, she may have one pleasant memory of this woman but she still felt like a stranger. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Claire flared her nostrils and grit her teeth, giving Alice a back-off expression. Alice leaned her head forward giving Claire a look of her own. "If you wanna walk around looking like a mud ball be my guest." Alice said. Alice had a point there; Claire had been so dirty for so long she'd forgotten what clean felt like. Claire shrugged and gave in. Slowly, Alice reached forward brushing the cold went cloth against Claire's cheek. She shivered. "Sorry…I know it's cold."

Alice ran the rag gently across each curve of Claire's face as if she was memorizing each feature with her fingers. Then her hair, her arms, her hands, and the part of her chest that her torn up tank top didn't cover. Alice became tense as she appeared determined to keep her eyes on Claire's collarbone and not let them travel down any further. Claire could only stare, the way Alice touched her was they someone would've handled a very delicate, very beloved work of art.

"There, much better." Alice gave a small, comforting smile. Claire eyed the clothes beside Alice and lifted her chin towards them.

"What about those?" she asked almost daring. She wanted to see how Alice would react to that. Maybe it would give her a hint at something or jog another memory. Alice froze in place for a second before quickly recuperating.

"I thought those could wait until I thought you were ready to be untied." Alice said.

"And when will that be?" Alice didn't have an answer. "Exactly," Claire whispered. "These rags aren't very warm." She looked at Alice's jacket, wishing she had one. Alice swallowed uneasily for moment before letting her fingers fall to Claire's shoes. She hesitated, glancing up at Claire to see if this was okay.

Claire felt her ears burning up like they'd been set on fire as she realized what Alice was gonna do. She was cold but was she _that_ cold? She was going to kick Alice in the face but those bright blue eyes just stared at her patiently with each passing second making Claire's tough exterior turn to jelly. At last, she managed a barely noticeable nod.

A touch of amusement filled Alice's eyes as she pulled off Claire's shoes. It quickly faded as Alice's fingers found the top of Claire's pants. She watched Alice become so tense she was surprised the woman got her arms to move again. The air went deadly silent; the only sound was their uneven breathing. Alice lowered her head, her eyes looking as far away as she could as she pulled Claire's pants free. It looked almost painful for Alice. After an eternity, Claire pulled her feet free and tucked her legs close to her in an attempt to preserve her dignity. Alice wasn't a perv but she did seem to have some kind of longing hidden in her face.

Alice shook out the clean pair of trousers she'd found and slipped them over Claire's legs. Her fingertips brushed against the sides of Claire's legs. Claire shuddered and she saw a smile trying to twist its way onto Alice's face. Claire grit her teeth in frustration that she couldn't just do this by herself.

She got more frustrated at how wonderfully fast Alice was at putting her _boots _on. When Alice finished lacing them, she started to reach for Claire's shirt next. Claire's foot whipped up and rested on Alice's chest. "Huh-uh." Claire glared and shoved Alice back.

Alice held up her hands. "Alright, calm down." She climbed onto a plane's wing. "Goodnight." Alice said in a teasing sing-songy tone. Claire watched her roll onto her side and she guessed fall asleep. Alice was so quiet Claire wasn't sure if she was really asleep or faking it. She waited at least an hour before attempting to sleep herself.

Claire bolted awake at the sound of a plane starting. She'd been untied from the landing gear but her hands were still bound. When she sat up, she saw she was in a fresh shirt and a red leather vest. "_Dammit!_" she hissed frustrated. _That sneaky little bit-!_

"Good, you're awake. Let's go." Alice said behind her. Claire narrowed her eyes angrily, she wasn't going _anywhere_.

"Go _where_?" Claire demanded.

"Well, I thought we'd head down the coast. Maybe we'll find some survivors or at the very least what happened to you." Alice said as she tilted her head back to squint up at the clouds.

"That seems like a waste of time." Claire mumbled under her breath. She did want to know why she couldn't remember anything but she didn't want to go with Alice.

"I can't leave you here." Alice said. "And it's safer to keep moving."

Claire looked around. There was _nothing _out here. No bears, wolves, and definitely no people. Claire had been eating fish the past…however many weeks it was. Alice looked at her confused.

"We have to keep moving because of the Infected." Alice said. Claire shook her head. "…you don't remember…" Alice rubbed her forehead like someone had dropped a huge uncomfortable weight on her shoulders. Alice glanced at her, contemplating. Claire thought she was about to explain but Alice let out a deep breath instead. "Let's just go. I have to find a place to refuel."

Alice pulled Claire onto her feet and led her over to the plane. Claire looked around, she didn't know if going with Alice would be safe but the woman hadn't killed her yet. The eerie silence of the field made her feel unsettled. What were these _Infected_ Alice talked about?

They were in the air for a short while. The further south they went the more Claire could spot little houses and cars, although none of cars seemed to be moving. Alice found a small town that had a landing strip, so she figured that also meant fuel. When they landed, Alice looked around quickly before climbing out. Claire started to move but Alice turned to her.

"_Stay _here." Alice ordered firmly before jumping down and wandering off. Claire lost sight of her as Alice walked behind a building, for some reason that unsettled Claire. She felt a sudden longing. It was like her heart was whining _don't leave me…not again._ Claire shook her head, baffled at this unexplainable emotion.

Claire waited for a few minutes but there was absolutely no sound and no signs of life other than herself. She didn't know why but she was starting to worry about Alice. For one thing she hardly knew the woman and she was still angry about what she'd discovered this morning. The longer she stayed put though the more she feared Alice wasn't coming back. _Screw this, I'm not a kid, _Claire thought. She struggled a bit to push back the cockpit window but she managed it. Claire climbed out and began heading in the direction she saw Alice go.

There were empty fuel barrels strewn all over the place as well as a bunch of other trash. She could see the buildings nearby were hangers. Past them was a chain link fence that had a huge hole in it, like several cars drove through it. The small town beyond the fence was silent. She wondered where all the people had gone.

She turned into one of the hangers, wondering if Alice had gone in there. It was dark and dusty inside. The only light came from the tiny windows near the ceiling. There were a few private planes parked in there. Tools and barrels cluttered up most of the space. She heard a shuffling noise coming from a room on the other side of the hanger.

"Alice?" she whispered. The shuffling paused for a moment before continuing. Claire got mad that the woman had ignored her. She walked forward a little faster, now sure that she'd found Alice.

Her eyes wandered around and she gasped as she saw three bodies lying on the ground. They looked like a small family. Their flesh was rotting in several placed but that's not what made Claire's stomach twist up. She covered her nose to block it from the smell. The worst part was that the bodies were torn up like they'd been eaten. She could see bite marks all over them, _human_ bite marks. Maybe that's why the town's people were all hiding, so they could catch their next victims.

"Alice!" she said worriedly now. She reached for the door of the room the shuffling noise was coming from. It was pitch black inside. An unnatural snarl destroyed the silence, the sound echoed around the hanger. Something snatched Claire's shoulder. She looked to see the hand was gray, rotten, and _dead _looking.

She jerked away and took several fast steps back. Whoever grabbed her stepped out of the dark room and into the hanger where Claire could see them. It was man in a shredded pilot's suit. His eyes were sunken into his head, his skin was a dingy color like rotten meat left to bake in the sunlight for years, and blood was running down his chin. _That's not Alice. _He growled and charged towards Claire.

Even though she was shaking all over, she didn't hesitate to sprint towards the nearest exit. But then she remembered the door had knobs and with her hands tied it took a minute to get it open. She cursed and turned left rapidly before getting trapped. She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon.

The man stumbled a few times but didn't give up chasing after her. Claire spotted a screw driver on the table. She snatched it and turned around; she stabbed the man right in the chest. He spat and twitched but seemed relatively unaffected by a screw driver in his heart. Claire took off again, putting as much distance as she could between them. _Why didn't that stop him? _

Claire spotted an emergency axe hanging in a case on the wall. She busted the glass with her foot and grabbed the axe, cutting her hands a bit. She managed to get it and with one good swing forward cleaved the man's head in two. He dropped dead…or _dead-er_…onto the floor. She stood there in shock, gasping for air as her heart pounded in fear.

"SNNAARRRRGGGG!"

She turned around to see another one standing there. Suddenly, an ear piercing gunshot filled the hanger. Claire watched as the creature's head was blown straight off. Terrified, Claire turned around to see Alice standing there. Alice lowered her gun and glared at Claire furiously.

"I told you to stay_ put_!" Alice said. Claire didn't care how angry Alice was; she came towards her quickly and buried her face in Alice's shoulder. Claire could hardly breathe and her heart was racing so fast she thought it would never slow down. She felt like a scared little kid who just wanted a hug from their mom to make it better. Her mom wasn't there so she guessed Alice was the next best thing.

Alice looked at the top of Claire's head in confusion. Then she remembered how frightened she'd been when she first saw the Undead. Alice sighed and wrapped her arms around Claire.

"It's okay." Alice whispered and rubbed Claire's back comfortingly. Claire was grateful for it. She wanted to stay like this, forever safe in Alice's arms.

"Can we go?" Claire asked shakily. A horde of growls erupted from outside.

"I don't think we have a choice." Alice said as she snatched Claire's hand. "Come on!" they ran out of the hanger and Claire could see a mob of Undead running towards the hole in the chain link fence. All of their eyes were hungrily fixed on them.

They reached the plane as the first of the Infected ran through the hole. Alice helped Claire up to the plane before practically throwing herself into the pilot's seat. She started the plane with her legs still dangling outside. One of the infected jumped onto the plane's wing as it began to drive down the runway. Alice was holding onto the plane with one hand and driving with the other. She watched the infected kid wiggle its way onto the wing and try to bite her leg. She kicked it off and pulled her legs into the plane. She pulled the yoke back and the plane lifted into the air.

"So much for fuel," Alice muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"_Good luck K-Mart…Claire." Alice said her eyes met Claire's perfectly and stayed there for a good long moment. It was a second of peace in the chaos around them. Claire wanted to say something but her jaw was stuck. She tried to pry it open with all her will power. She could see Alice standing there, waiting. She should've been running or she'd be overwhelmed by a mob of Undead. Still, Alice waited. _

_Damn it, Claire had better say something before Alice died standing there. Nothing came out though. Not even a simple goodbye. She had a speech's worth to say; come with me, I'll miss you, or even…I love you. For some stupid reason she just couldn't say it. The chance was lost as the Undead swarmed in closer. _

_She had to go and so did Alice. _

_Claire lifted the chopper into the sky staring at the horizon in front of her even though her eyes wanted to look down. She wondered if she would see Alice again. She wondered if she'd made a mistake…_

Claire was starting to wake up, she lay in an odd state of half asleep and half awake. She could hear Alice talking and the plane rumbling. She was too comfortable to move so she stayed quiet and listened.

"My passenger is still as talkive as ever. Whatever that thing was, it was injecting her with some sort of drug…something that causes memory loss. I just hope the effects aren't permanent." Alice sighed. She could hear the beep as Alice turned the camera off.

Claire noticed that when Alice thought she wasn't looking or could hear, she'd talk to that little camera she carried. It must've been awhile since Alice got to talk to somebody. She knew the feeling all too well.

She cracked her eye open and watched the back of Alice's head for a minute. It was nice to have company again. Not just anyone's, Alice's company. It made Claire feel relaxed for some reason as if the hard knot in her chest had been loosened. Even though Claire panicked for a second back in that town, it felt familiar like she and Alice had done been in that situation before. It felt almost like home….a very sad, terrifying home of course.

"Alice?" she said, her voice still groggy from sleep.

"She speaks." Alice replied.

"Look, I'm sorry about back there. I don't know what happened." Claire said. Then she paused for a moment. "I don't remember _anything_." That was a lie; she remembered one thing but she felt too uneasy saying it out loud. She could see Alice watching her from the reflection in the window. Her blue eyes stayed put for a long while but turned away rapidly as she saw Claire had noticed. "I don't even know my name." she admitted feeling a little pathetic. Who couldn't remember their own name?

"It's Claire." Alice answered. "Claire…Redfield."

"Claire." She muttered.

"Sound familiar?"

"Not really." she shrugged. She looked out at the ground below. It looked so empty, so abandoned. She hoped she couldn't spot any more _things_ wandering around. "I'm guessing those were the Infected you mentioned before?"

"I'm afraid so."

Claire chuckled darkly as she stared down at her tied up hands. "No wonder you didn't want to tell me." She said under her breath. She felt her stomach twisting but she _had _to know. "How many are there?"

She could see Alice's reflection frowning. Claire could tell the woman wished somebody else could tell Claire what was going on. "The infection has spread worldwide. There aren't that many survivors left." Alice said heavily.

_Worldwide…_Claire's heart slowed to a stop. The whole world…was dead. A few brief memories surfaced. She remembered coming home and saw an emergency news flash at the bottom of the TV screen warning people about a virus. She had ignored it at first because it wasn't anywhere near her at the time. Then as the days passed she watched the virus marching its way closer and closer. She started to prepare just in case; she only bought enough for a few months. She thought she could just wait it out. When the virus hit, it hit hard. Claire's memories seemed all scrambled together after that. She remembered shouting, running, the Undead chasing her around every corner, and watching so many people die even her friends…even her family…until she was only one left. Claire gripped her knees tightly and stopped trying to remember. She didn't want to remember that.

"Sorry I didn't have better news." Alice said.

"Me too," Claire said quietly. She lifted her hands up. "Can you untie me now?"

"I think we should get to know each other a little better first." Alice said. Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Figures." She grumbled and tried to find a more comfortable spot. Her lower half was going numb. "So…why do you make those videos? Do you think someone will see them one day?"

"That's why I started them but the longer I looked around the more I realized…that might not be a realistic idea. So, I thought I'd watch them." Alice shrugged. "To see where I've been I guess."

Claire made an "mmm" sound. "Could I see it really fast?"

Alice picked it up and held it back. Claire took it and managed to turn it on. She turned it around to face her. "This is…Claire Redfield?" she glanced up and Alice nodded reassuringly. "Talking to the future Alice who will be watching these…" She could hear a small chuckle from the pilot's seat. "As you can see you've decided to hold me hostage."

"You're not being held hostage."

"I beg to differ." Claire held up her tied hands to the camera. "Anyway, I don't know what you're motive is since I haven't tried killing you for at least twenty-four hours."

"I _will _take that from you, you know." Alice faked a threatening tone.

Claire smirked. "I don't know what to make of you right now. You're kinda of quiet. Maybe because you've been alone for awhile…maybe you've just seen too much lately. Or maybe it's just me, you do seem kinda reserved like your trying to hide something. I'm guessing it had something to do with what happened back when we knew each other." Claire looked up to see Alice was doing her best to appear aloof. "And uh, just so you know…you're not very good at it." She whispered to the camera.

"Hey!" Alice turned around to glare at Claire.

Claire chuckled. "It was a joke!" Alice's expression didn't change. "You're supposed to laugh, you know ha-ha." Alice's fierce expression softened and she turned around.

"I can see I'll have to find some kind of editing software." Alice said.

"Oh come on!"

"It was a joke Claire…you know ha-ha?" Alice grinned mischievously.

* * *

><p>At sundown, Alice had decided to land the plane. Most of the coast was covered in trees and the roads nearby twisted and turned too much. Alice was forced to land on the beach. Landing in sand didn't go so well. The plane had hit the ground with a hard thud. Now Claire's neck was sore from being jerked forward so violently.<p>

As she climbed out of the plane, she looked at the tree line on the edge of the beach. With the sunlight fading, the forest was nearly black inside. She swallowed hard, anticipating the Undead to pop out at any moment now. She tugged at the rope on her wrists as she jumped down onto the sand.

Alice walked over to the trees and got a bunch of sticks. Claire watched as the woman made a fire. Claire would be happy for the warmth later but right now she was starving. Fate had an awful sense of humor because now she could remember BBQ's…juicy steak, ribs, and cheese burgers. Claire came over and took a stick out of Alice's hand.

She trudged out into the freezing water and held up the stick. Her body stayed perfectly still until the very last second before she thrust her arm down. When she pulled the stick out of the water a fish was wiggling wildly on the end. Claire chuckled triumphantly.

"Sorry about it this but I'm hungry and you're better than canned beans." She came back to the fire and held the fish over it like a marsh mellow. Alice watched her with an impressed expression. "I got really good at it, you know with being out there alone for months." Claire explained.

"No complaints here." Alice said and sat down.

When the fish was warm enough, she pulled it away from the fire and offered it up to Alice. She still had Claire's knife and with it she cut her half off. Alice used the knife to cut off small bites but Claire ate the fish like she had been the past few months…like a Neanderthal. She didn't realized how she looked until she saw Alice staring at her with an amused smile.

"What?" Claire said with a mouthful. "I'm hungry." She bit into the fish and tore off a good bite.

Soon, the sunlight faded completely. While the part of Claire facing the fire was toasty, her back was frozen. She felt her muscles tighten to keep herself from shivering. She didn't want to look weak in front of Alice, at least not again.

Alice seemed to notice though; she unzipped her coat and came to sit beside Claire. The jacket was big enough to wrap around the both of them when they sat close together. Claire's shoulder was squashed up against Alice's. Their skin touching. Claire's heart fluttered and she found she could no longer make eye contact with Alice. She stared awkwardly at the fire.

The world seemed to completely disappear beyond the light of the fire. For all Claire knew that was all existence seemed to consist of; her, the fire, and Alice. She watched the flames flicker and dance, her eyes glazed over as her thoughts roamed. She let her eyes drop and travel along the ground before finding Alice's boot and roaming upward to stare at the side of Alice's face.

The firelight bathed Alice in a golden light. Her eyes shined as if they themselves had been on fire. Her mind was far away, thinking about who knows what. Claire noticed her empty shoulder and felt the urge to place her head there and wrap her arms around Alice. She fought to keep still instead. She didn't know if that was something she usually felt the need to do or if it was just an Alice thing.

"Alice, were we friends?" she wondered. Alice turned to look at her, surprised at the sudden noise. Their eyes came together instantly as if they were magnets being pulled together. Claire held them there without any trouble but Alice looked away quickly.

"I'd like to think so." Alice replied.

"_Close _friends?" Claire dared to ask. She was doing her best to figure out why she had a memory of her face glued to Alice's without blurting out the obvious. Alice's breathing became uneven as if she could sense what the question was trying to ask.

"I…I don't know." Alice said. "You didn't really verbalize what you felt like." Claire remembered her dream, remembered how she felt like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Oh," that was the best thing she could say? _Stupid! _Claire resisted the need to hit her forehead. She sighed and stared down at her feet. "Was I a good person?"

Alice looked at her like she'd said something crazy. "Why would you ask that?"

"I dunno; I just feel like I let people down." _Like I let _you _down, _she thought as she remembered Alice standing there waiting for Claire to admit something…anything…before they might never see each other again.

Alice stared at the fire. "You're not the only one."

"It's a good thing nobody ever said you had to be perfect." Claire said. She turned to look at Alice only to find those ice colored eyes already focused on her. She felt a hard bubble of air form in her throat and she could no longer talk. Alice's eyes traveled down to her lips and watched them painfully for a second. Claire stayed put wondering if she did if Alice might come closer…

"I'll keep the first watch." Alice choked out and got onto her feet. She pulled her revolver out and spun it around her finger as she paced back and forth on the other side of the fire. Claire clutched Alice's coat closer and stretched out to sleep. She couldn't understand why she felt disappointed.

* * *

><p>The all too familiar silence fell over the world again. Alice sighed and leaned her head back, enjoying the cool breeze run its fingers through her hair. The wind tossed it around almost like a kid was playing with it. A kid…Alice hadn't seen one of those in a long time. She missed their laughter and their little pudgy faces the most. Hell, she missed a lot of things.<p>

There was one thing she didn't miss though. That would be Claire because Claire was only a few inches away from her now. It was fate somehow showing it had some sort of mercy reserved for Alice. It was bittersweet though, it always was. She was with Claire but she couldn't _have _Claire.

Claire had been asleep for three hours now. It had taken that long to get control again. Alice felt it was safe to sit by Claire's head and listened to her soft breathing. She'd nearly lost it before; nearly leaned forward…Alice screwed her eyes closed. _Not again, _she thought. She couldn't do it again.

Claire seemed to be holding up better. Alice had been caught off guard when Claire collapsed onto her, scared. That was it though; the fear was quickly washed away, buried under a heavily fortified wall. It was nice to see that despite her memory loss, Claire's strength hadn't deteriorated. She'd definitely need it.

Still, the memory of Claire's face pressed against her shoulder was burned into her flesh. So was the feel of Claire's hot breath tickling her neck and Claire's soft cheek teasing her skin. Alice's body felt full of air and she hoped she didn't develop the ability to simply float away. She wished it could've lasted longer.

Alice shook her head. _What're you doing? You tried this before and look what happened. She told you no. _Her eyes wandered down to find Claire. The woman sighed heavily in her sleep and rolled onto her back. _What did you mean when you said 'I can't' anyway? Why couldn't you let this happen? _

It was pointless trying to ask now. Alice might never know. Claire probably doesn't even remember the desert. That would be Alice's luck too. Then it would really be like nothing had ever happened, the way Claire seemed to have wanted it. Alice felt an ache from her chest. She could feel it coming from her heart. _Yeah, I know…you're busted…I'm sorry. I tried, I really tried. _

"…Alice…" Claire mumbled. Alice felt her eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. She turned to see if Claire had woken up but she hadn't. "…Alice…" Claire whispered. Then a worried expression stained Claire's face. A small sad whimper escaped. "…Alice?"

Alice bit her lip, wondering if she should do it or not. Her fingers slowly made their way down to Claire's hand. Claire twitched from the feeling and seemed to be waking up but went to sleep again. Alice squeezed Claire's hand gently.

"I'm here," she whispered but she doubted Claire could hear it through her dreams. But then Claire smiled, a _happy_ smile, one that was untainted by fear or sorrow as if Claire had no memory of what happened to the world. As if Claire was in the middle of paradise. Then she rolled over and began mumbling about how she hated rocks in her boots. Alice couldn't help but chuckle.


End file.
